RE6OF V[6E
Volume XX
Oregon State University, January 1971
I
p
Number 1
Vegetable Varieties Recommended for 1971
Every two years the J)epartment of Horticulture
Suggestions Requested
For Improving Digest
We are beginning our twentieth year of publication
of Oregon Vegetable Digest. In our first issue, Director
F. E. Price stated, 'All (lepartments that deal with vege-
table problems will contribute to its pages. New and
significant findings, here and elsewhere, vill be summarized by specialists in the various fields. It is hoped
that others interested in the we1 fare of the industry--growers, fleidmen, processors, county extension agents.
and otherswill take an active part and interest in the
publication. Comments and suggestions may be sent to
this office.''
We welcome your comments and suggestions for
improving future issues. Please send them to Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331.
prepilres a list of vegetable varieties adapted to various
areas of Oregon. Old and new varieties are included,
with comments on some of the new ones. The list should
not be considered exhaustive; there are numerous varieties of most of our common vegetable crops, and in many
instances there are several strains of a given variety.
Caution is suggested in changing to new varieties
without clear, compelling reasons. It is usually best to
plant small trial plots or acreage at first and to repeat the
tests for three years or more. Varieties will vary in
behavior from year to year and from location to location. Many environmental factors such as soil, diseases,
insects, temperature ( night and (lay) , solar radiation
intensity and length of day) rainfall, irrigation, various chemicals, and impacts of machinery interact with
varying heredity to give a range of responses among varieties and strains.
When a strain of a given variety appears epeciallc
promising, it may he well to purchase seed a year or two
in a I vance, in I icating to the see' lsman the particuir
'tock (lesired.
It is difficult for any one person to keep up with new
variety developments in every crop. Therefore, it may be
well to seek information from several sources. At Oregon
T.e 7c '?44ce
State University new, promising variety (levelopments
\egetable Varieties Recomniended
1
Suggestions Requested for litiproving
ID igest
Harvesters Promising for
Nigh Density Bush Beans
Sloughing and Texture
of Snap Beans Studied
1
in major crops usually are noted and tests run; with
other crops, suggestions are based only on experience
elsewhere. Sotirces of information may be experienced
growers, county agents, fiel dmen, seedsmen's representatives, catalogues and (lescriptive lists, extension specialists, and vegetable breeders at OSLT.
4
Asparagus. Mary \'vasliington and California 500.
Beans, green bush. Tendercrop, mottle-seeded, is
now well established, especially for freezing. Gallatin 50
(Continued next page)
Vegetable Varieties...
The sprouts are closely spaced and pressed togethei
along the stem, and there is some tendency for sprouts
is an off-white seeded Fendercrop type. Executive and
Fenderette are also of Tendercrop type. The Oregon 58
bush bean was released recently and is near Blue Lake
pod quality. Tempo has shown some promise ; care
at base of stem to become infected with soft rot if liarvest is delayed. Fancy Most and Catskill are suited for
home and market use.
should be exercised to harvest this variety at prime
quality stage; it is not a large, fleshy type. 274 of Asgrow is somewhat late and heavy foliaged, with only
fair concentration of set it is a fleshy type. Asgrow 290
is slim podded, vigorotis, late, of good quality. FM-14
Cabbage. Early and midseason: Golden Acre, Early
Jersey Wakefield, Green Acre, Marion Market, Copenhagen Market, Bonanza, Market lopper, Market Prize,
Stonehead, Ventura, Little Rock, Reeds Hybrid No. 1,
Head Start, and Pace Setter. I ate: Danish Ballhead and
Oregon Ballhead. Small : ilabyhead. Savoy: Chieftan
and Savoy King. Use strains resistant to fusarium yellows if this disease has been a problem. Many good new
F1 hybrids are being introduced ; the above list is not
;
is a flat-pod type approaching Romano Pole in pod characteristics
Beans, green pole. For processing: FM-1K, Prime
Pack (considered essentially the original FM-i bean),
FM-iL, and Asgrow 231. For eastern Oregon areas
subject to curly top virtis damage: Columbia, developed
by the late B. F. Dana; this bean is essentially of Blue
complete.
Cantaloupe. Spear, Oregon Delicious, Hales Best,
and Hearts of Gold are somewhat late in western Oregon. Fusarium-resistant varieties: Iroquois, Harvest
Queen, Delicious 51, and Resistant Honey Rock. Gold
Lake quality. Other favorites of Oregon gardeners:
Oregon Giant and Kentucky Wonder. Romano is a flatpod bean with distinctive flavor.
Beans, wax bush. Puregold and Earliwax. A few
OSLT wax beans of complex parentage are available
for use by processors in small-plot work. For eastern
Star, Harper Hybrid, Supermarket, Saticoy Hybrid,
and Burpee Hybrid are F hybrids which have (lone well
in western Oregon. All varieties perform best when
Oregon curly to1) areas, we suggest contacting Matt Silbernagel, Irrigation Experiment Station, Prosser, Washington, and Dr. L. L. Dean, Bean Research Laboratory,
Twin Falls, Idaho.
grown (in a plastic or paper mulch. Crenshaw only in the
warmer areas.
Carrot. For processing: Red Cored Chantenay,
Royal Chantenav, and Nantes. For the gardener: Red
(ored Chantenav xviI I hold up longer in the fall without as much cracking and rotting as Nantes. Market
Beans, lima pole. Christmas and Oregon a white
runner'' bean of scarlet rtinner type).
garden types: 1 mperator, Gold Spike, Gold Pak, Chanticleer, and Morse Bunching. Hybrid carrots hold promise
for the future, but seed supplies have been short. Spar-
Beans, lima bush. Large pod: Fordhook 242 and
Concentrated Fordhook. Smdl pod : Clark's 1 tush, Early
Thorogreen, Kingston, Thaxter (mildew resistant), and
Henderson.
tan Sweet, Spartan Bonus, and Hi Pak have shown
profuse.
Cauliflower. Snowball N, Snowball Y, Early Snow-
Beets. Detroit Dark Red (mildew-resistant type,
best for processing). Green TO1) Bunching, Seneca 1 )etroit, Early Wonder, and others.
ball, and Snowdrift. For winter or spring types, there
are a range of varieties from December to April. Early
Broccoli. Waltham 29, Northwest Waltham, and
Purple Head (purple florets) Spartan Early is smaller
than the Walthanis but is suited for home use. 1 talian
Green Sprouting is inferior to the varieties listed above,
hut it may be all that is available in sonic cases. Harvester is of current interest for mechanical harvesting.
Green Comet is an excellent, uniform F1 hybrid.
Brussels sprouts. Jade Cross ( early L hybrid) is
uniform in maturity and plant form attractive to aphids.
Purple Head is a good garden variety.
Celery. Utah ( there are many good strains of this
green, long-petiole type)
Corn, sweet. Jubilee, the most important commercial
rocessg hybrid,
will usually outvield GOI(lefl
(ross, but both have good quality. Also for home and
market: Early North Star and Golden Beauty; midseason to late Seneca Golden, Sugar King, FM-Cross,
Oregon Vegetable Digest is published four times a year by the Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, G. Burton Wood, Director. Address correspondence to the author concerned
or to the Department of Horticulture.
Material may he reprinted providing no endorsement of a commercial product is stated or implied. Please credit Oregon State University. To simplify technical terminology, trade names of products or equipment sometimes will he
used. No endorsement of products named is intended nor is criticism iml)lied ot prolucts not mentioned.
7
Vegetable Varieties...
and Sugar Daddy. Tokay Sugar (early) and Silver
Rhubarb. Valentine, MacDonald, and Riverside
Giant. A few OSU hybrids are available for limited
Queen (late) are high-quality white varieties well liked
by home gardeners.
trial.
Cucumber. 1or pickling: MTt1 7 (mosaic resistant),
SMR-15 (scab mosaic resistant), SMR-58, and other
new disease-resistant varieties. Several F1 hybrid pickling cucumbers with concentrated crown set are avail-
Summer squash. Zucchini, Caserta, Yellow Straightneck, Yellow Crookneck, and White Scallop or Ii hybrids of these varietal types. Burpee Hybrid, Storr's
able and are adapted to mechanical harvest. For slicing:
Burpee Hybrid, Sensation Hybrid, Surecrop Hybri (I,
Marketmore, and Gemini. These F hybrids are usually
very productive; they also (10 well in greenhouse pro-
tionally productive green varieties which are easy to
Green, Seneca Zucchini, and Zucchini Hybrid are excep-
pick. Blackini has open foliage and is high in quality but
less productive. Seneca Putterhar and Goldhar are yellow straightneck types of exceptional quality. There are
many other new F hybrids of both the yellow and green
types which are good. Avoid Dark Green Zucchini and
Black Zucchini, which have heavy fohage.
duction. Gemini and Marketmore are scab resistant.
Poinsett and Marketer are open-pollinated varieties.
M & M Hybrid has looked especially good in greenhouses.
Winter squash. Hubbard (many types well
adapted), Golden I )elicious, I lanana, Table Queen,
Eggplant. Black Magic (early F hybrid), New
Hampshire, Black Beauty, and Burpee Hybrid.
Sweet Meat, Buttercup, Putternut, and Silver Bell. Butternut and Buttercup are outstanding for home use and
are easily matured in western Oregon ; they are of convenient size and high in quality, but they are not adapted
to long storage. Sweet Meat has good quality and is long
Lettuce, head. Imperial 456, Phoenix, Pennlake,
and various Great Lakes strains, such as GI. 659 and
Premier. Oswego, Mesa, Fulton, and Monelto should
be tried.
keeping. Silver Bell keeps well and is very dry.
Lettuce, leaf. Oak Leaf, Salad Bowl. Bronze Leaf
Prizehead) is exceptional. Ruby is attractive but does
Tomato. Early determinate, nonstaking types: Victor, Bounty, Fireball, New Yorker, and the OSU releases, Willamette and Medford. Medium early determinate: \Vasatch, Pritchard. Good hybrids of mediuni
maturity, indeterminate, stake well : Moreton Hybrid,
Pig Boy Hybrid, Pig larlv Hybrid, Burpee Hybrid,
Burpee VF, Spring Giant, and Cardinal Hybrid. I nde-
not necessarily have good quality.
Lettuce, butterhead. Bibb, Summer Bibb, and
Buttercrunch.
Onion. Danvers Yellow Globe western ()regon)
hybrid Surprise, and Sweet Spanish ( eastern Oregon).
1 nterest in small white pearl (pickling) onions warrants.
a review of white, short-da types that are spherical in
shape and have a very thin outer scale. Barletta types
such as White Pearl, \\hite Creole, and FM-I -28 I are
terminate, nonhybrid, meditim early, stake well : Stokesdale and Red Jacket ( potato leaf). Many new varieties
are being released. Ace is large-fruited and of good
quahtv, but somewhat late: I mmuna I 1rior Beta is
small-fruited and has unusual ability to set fruit at low
teinperature. The recent OSU release, I arge German
promising when seeded early and thickly.
Peas. Canners : I 1erfect ion tvl )e am I Aiaka sinai I
early). Freezers: Fi-eezer 69, Frosty, Early Frosty,
Dark Green Perfection, Midfreezer, and Jade. Market
and garden: Alderman tall ), Little Marvel (i\varf(
Thomas Laxton medium tall), Progress 9, and I cer 95.
l'.nation mosaic-resistant Perfected Freezer 60 and Mohawk may be available for freezing and garden. A virusresistant OSU line is available for trial in home gardens.
Cherry, is worthy of trial. Gotmden Boy has a large, mild,
yellow fruit. California VF 145-21-4 and other strains
are mci hum late hut of promise for verticillium and
fusarium resistance. For a pear type, Napohi. medium
m nat u m.i tv
Watermelon. Klon( like ( many strains), New
l-Hmpshiire IV! idget ( early ice box type, only fair quality, very small) , Charleston Cirav fusarium resistant,
good shipper, relatively late maturing), and Crimson
Sweet ( fusariuni resistant). Newer icebox melons
should be tned. Sugar Baby is a medium small (lark
green melon \vhichl is fairly early. Seedless varieties,
Pepper. Large bell: \'olo Wonder ( mosaic resis-
tant, somewhat late)
Early Calwonder, I ennwonder,
Keystone Resistant Giant, 1 (labelle, and Michigan Won,
(her. New varieties to he tried are: jade, Mid\vav, hellringer, and Bellboy. For small fruit and very early:
Vinedale, Early Pountiful, Morgold (orange), and
such as Hybrid 313, should he tried.
Vinette.
Pumpkin. New England Pie, Small Sugar,
\V. A. FRAZIER, j. R. BAGGE'I'T,
N. S. MANSOUR, amid H. J. MACK
Dcpartnm en t of Horticulture
[acl<
O'Lantern, Connecticut Field, and Dickinson; Big Max
for exhibition.
3
Harvesters Promising for High Density Bush Beans
Harvesting of snap beans in high density plantings
(5 x 5-inch spacings) was demonstrated to be mechanically feasible by two experimental prototype harvesters
that were tested at the OSU Vegetable Research Farm
during 1969 and 1970. However, further testing, modifi-
The Chisholm-Ryder self-propelled prototype harvester (Figure 2) was tested in high density plantings
in 1970. The picking reel is perpendicular to rows or
travels at a 90 degree angle to the rows, although in a
5 x 5-inch spacing there is really no row orientation.
cations, and improvements are contemplated by the
The picking reel could handle a planting about 72 inches
wide. The harvester appeared to be very efficient in har-
manufacturers.
The tests were conducted in cooperation with engi-
neers of Mather & Platt, Ltd., Manchester, England,
and Chishoim-Ryder Company, Niagara Falls, New
York, largely through the coordination of Dr. A. A.
Duncan, former Vegetable Crops Specialist at OSU.
vesting pods from plants. In one replicated test on
Gallatin 50 snap beans, the percentage of pods remaining on the plant and those dropped on the ground was
less than 8%.
OSU agricultural engineers also cooperated.
Several varieties of snap beans that varied in growth
habit were planted in 40-inch "beds" (5 x 5-inch spacings) in 1969 and in 40- and 80-inch beds in 1970. Spacing between beds was 18 to 24 inches. Hand harvested
yields in high density plantings were affected by varieties, planting ,dates, and harvest dates; the yields ranged
from 8 to 12 tons per acre, with about 50% of the pods
sieve size 4 and smaller.
The Mather & Platt multi-row prototype harvester
(Figure 1) was a pull-type harvester (picking reel and
fans-) run by hydraulic motors. The 48-inch-wide picking reel was set at a 45 degree angle to the "rows." After
picking and cleaning, the beans were elevated by an air
stream to a bin above the tractor. Limited observations
in 1969 showed that the highest picking efficiency was
85 to 88% as compared to hand harvest. This machine
was not tested in Oregon during 1970, but it is understood that further tests were conducted in England.
Figure 2.
Chishoim-Ryder prototype high density
harvester (1970).
Future developments in high density bean plantings
will be influenced by study and analysis of experimental
harvester tests, feasibility of larger acreages of high
density plantings and appropriate cultural practices,
potential yield increases, and economics of development
of production of the crop as well as the machines for
Figure
planting and harvesting.
1.
Prototype multi-row harvester of
Mather & Platt (1969).
-H. J. MACK
Department of Horticulture
Sloughing and Texture of Snap Beans Studied
The occurrence of sloughing in either canned or
frozen cooked snap beans is an undesirable condition
which can materially reduce US I )A grade for cliaracter. Fortunately, snap beans grown for processing in the
Pacific Northwest are relatively low in fiber, stringless,
and quite dependable in tenderness. One of the undesir-
able products of high tenderness in snap beans, however, is sloughing of the skin.
Slouqltinq means a loosening and parthd loss of the
epidermal layers of the pod unit after being canned or
frozen and cooked. The visual effect ranges from an
tinsightiv shriveled appearance to various degrees of
fraying and peeling of skin into the cooking water or
brine.
Pod split is a tendency of cut pods to split and expose seeds. it is often associated with sloughing in ten-
der-walled varieties of beans. The probleni, as in the
case of sloughing, is aggravated by agitation of the bean
units (luring serving, particularly in institutional feeding.
reactions which alter pectic substances and protiote
changes in 1lH, texture, color, and vitamin content. The
fresh snap bean pod, which initially contains pectic substances largely in form of methylated pectins (long
polyiiierized molecules composed of sugar-like units,
neutral in charge and hot water-soluble), is heated (Itiring the water blanch operation through an intermediate
temperature range (150-180° i') where enzymes are
activated to produce nonvolatile organic acids. I ectic
acid, formed by enzymatic transformation of the neu-
trd pectin molecules, is one of the principal acids
formed. This enzyme action stops when pods are exposed to higher temperattires of 195 to 2100 F, so the
amount of pectic acid formed depends on the rate at
which pods pass through the intermediate tem] )erature
range. Pectic acid and its Ca, Mg salts are relatively
insoluble forms of pectic substances. In this state, the
pectic material is kept in its intercellular position and
good adhesion between cell tissues is retained.
Factors affecting sloughing and pod split
Variety. The genetic make-up of the snap bean
aftects quality and distribution of pectic materials, the
principal intercellular cementing substances, in the pod.
Thus, varieties var- in their predisposition to sloughing
and softness under normal processing condtions. I 'ole
Romano Italian bean is highly susceptible to sloughing.
Some new bush snap bean varieties available to indtistry, such as new Oregon 58, have excellent Blue Lake
qualities of fleshiness, tenderness, and flavor ; however,
sloughing, split pods, or softness may be present on
(1)
300
5.0
200
4.0
(00
3.0
cooking.
Cultural conditions. It has been shown that
high soil moisture availability (luring growth increases
pod tenderness and susceptibility to slough. Moisture
stress (luring the growing season conversely reduces
sloughing but creates other quality problems such as increased fiber, tough pod walls, and roughness.
Sieve size. In general, the larger sieve sizes show
less slough tendency; however, sieve size effect may be
quite nominal in those varieties which retain good fieshiness and tenderness into the large sieve bean.
Blanch. The processor of frozen vegetables is
likely to consider the blanch operation I a particular h )t
water process) important only to remove cell gases and
inactivate enzymes responsible for flavor and color (leterioration after freezing. Research findings indicate that
the blanch also can he responsible for initiating enzyme
llns article was taken Ironi a talk given at .Aniericaii
Frozen Food I list itul e Teehii i cal \Vork shop, 1 'ni-i land, Oregon
September 17, 1970.
120
40
160
180
200
BLANCH TEMPERATURE (°F)
Figure 1. Canned bean firmness and pectic acid
content.
This pectic acid formation has been closely linked
with firming of the snal) bean 1 lod. When blanch temperature is varied and time is held constant, pectic acid con-
tent and relative firmness increase together to a maximum around 170° as temperature is raised, then both
lrop rather sharply with the use of temperatures above
180° F (Figure 1).
Snap Beans
The possibility of preventing a slough problem in
Experimental Studies at OSU
frozen snap beans by utilizing a preblancli at intermediate temperatures followed directly by a final high temperature inactivation blanch has been investigated. '[lie
V If we were to nionitor the firmness of our snap
beans after blanching, we might expect that the use of
very high blanch temperatures would result in soft
beans. The prime reason the canner of snap beans tises
an intermediate blanch temperature (around 1750 F) is
relative success of a preblanch step in a dual blanch
system to suppress sloughing was assessed at 160° and
1700 F blanch temperatures with time varied (Figure
3). The 1700 F temperature was the more efficient of the
two temperatures in altering texture, and the effect was
proportioil to lime of blanch.
to enhance firmness and simultaneously niinimize slotigh-
ing. The canner may, if necessary, extend the firming
ettect initiated by the intermediate blanch temperature
by holding the pods for a period of time between blanch
and sterilizing process. Figure 2 shows the effect on
canned snap bean texture and sloughing when the
blanched bean was held in a canning brine at constant
-S
temperature for periods up to two hours after the
blanch.
120
(I)
l?2F_"
FIRMNESS
100
8O
-
(/)
(J)
Lu
/5O° - -
FIRMNESS
60-
H
75°F
0
j60P
Single Blanch
/2/0 °F//05 sec
80/
*
60
4o
SLOUGHING
I0
S LO U G H ING
2
75°F
\
30
/50°F
60
90
120
150
PRE-BLANCH 7/ME (Seconds)
Figure 3. Pre-blanch effect on frozen snap bean
texture.
30
60
90
20
HOLDING TIME (Minutes)
Figure 2. Canned snap bean texture after postblanch hold.
V The overall value of such a lual blanch system
niut be judged on evidence of both textural and color
effects on the beans. The pH, nonuallv around 6.5, in
V The freezer cannot follow the same course of action open to the canner to re luce a s tough or i
split
the fresh bean, tends to drop (luring pectic acid production in blanch-induced firming. This, in addition to extra
problem. The freezing process requires that the en-
heat exposure, would tend to lead to more loss of the
bright green color desired in frozen beans. The magnitude of the color loss resulting (hirectiv from the preblanch treatment in a dual blanch system was objectively measured in terms of the ai,/b1, Gardner Color
>
I
zvme systems be completely inactivated to stabilize qual-
ity in frozen storage. High temperatures (2050 F and
above) at minimal times are recommended to achieve inactivation and retain the bright green color desired in the
beans.
meter index and by visual score in a study on the frozen
6
Snap Beans...
Oregon 58 bush bean (Figure 4). The instrumental
results indicated that greenness declined steadily as preblanch time increased, although the color loss was (IcSingle Blanch
tected visually only after the preblanch time exceeded one
minute. This work suggests that a dual blanch utilizing a
GARDNER COLOR
(GREENNESS)
/2lOF//O5 sec
short preblanch at 1700 F may hold some proiiise as a
processing technique for freezing certain snap bean varieties. Sloughin and soft texture would be avoided,
0.9
with a minimum damage in color.
0.8-
Two other possible solutions to the slough problem
in frozen snap beans have not yet been studied.
l7O"F
0.7
Use of pH control of preblanch water within a
close range of the normal pH 6.5 of fresh snap beans
VISUAL COLOR RATING
by use of appropriate buffering agents.
7*-
introduction of soluble calcium into the blanch
water as an adjunct to the firming effect of the pre-
/60°F
5 - Single Blanch
blanch treatment. Sonie reports indicate that addition of
calcium salts to the brine in processing tests Ofl canned
snap beans has not produced consistent firming in the
canned product. Calcium salt addition even at relatively
low levels also may introduce off-flavors in canned snap
2/O"F//O5sec
ITO
30
60
90
20
50
PRE-BLANCH TIME (Seconds)
beans.
Figure 4. Pre-blanch effect on frozen snap bean
GI-:oncE W. VAIsEvE1D
I)cpartmcnt of I-'ood Science and Technology
color.
A
Oecct
A
A
o iccdecaé Socie4 '2/teetjg9d
flaeca 2K-SO
A vegetable session will be Part of the Oregon Horti-
Labor, marketing, and legislation affecting horticultural producers will be featured in general sessions of
the llorticultural Congress January 28-30. An equipment show will be an outstanding highlight in conjtinc-
cultural Society meetings in Portland Meniorial Coliseum, January 28, 9:45 until noon. There will he Panel
(hscUssiOfls on "A look at the bush bean situation'' and
Sweet corn harvesters and harvesting.'' Also included
will be progress reports on a nutritional survey in cole
crops and use of plastic tape in seeding cucumbers.
tion with the meetings.
1 )r. Robert W. MacVicar, president of Oregon State
lniversit\-, will be the speaker at the annual banquet.
7